HMS
CACHALOT
(1937
-
1941)
HMS CACHALOT (N83) was one of the six ship class of Grampus-class mine-laying submarines. She was built at Scotts, Greenock and launched on 2 December 1937. She served in World War II in home waters and the Mediterranean. She was rammed and sunk by the Italian torpedo boat Generale Achille Papa on 30 July 1941.
HMS CACHALOT (Lt Cdr H R B Newton) left Malta on 26 July, bound for Alexandria and with instructions to look out for an escorted tanker heading for Benghazi. At 0200 on 30 July a destroyer was spotted heading towards CACHALOT, forcing the submarine to dive. On returning to the surface the submarine was attacked by the Italian destroyer. CACHALOT attempted to dive again but the upper hatch jammed, and the Italian destroyer rammed her. The submarine was scuttled in 200 fathoms of water as the crew abandoned her.
All the crew were taken prisoner except one Maltese steward, named Muscat, who was lost. Muscat was a non-swimmer who was offered assistance but declined; he made the sign of the cross before jumping into the sea and was not seen again. Leading Stoker Osmand, who tried to help Muscat, swam to the Papa and was pulled from the water by an Italian sailor who said, in perfect English: “Hard luck mate‚ it may be our turn next!”. The Italian owned a café in Cardiff and had been on holiday in Italy when war was declared, and he had been called up for service in the Italian Navy.
PEOPLE WHO DIED WHILE SERVING IN THIS UNIT
Last Name
Initials
Rank
Decorations
Service
July 30, 1941
MUSCAT
G
Std
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